Jose Rizal

Jose Rizal (19 July 1861-30 December 1896) was a Filipino nationalist and eye doctor who led the Filipino Propaganda Movement in resistance to the rule of the Philippines by Spain, and he is considered to be a national hero.

Biography
Jose Rizal was born on 19 July 1861 in Calamba, Laguna, Captaincy General of the Philippines. His family had changed their last name to "Rizal" in 1849 after a decree was passed by Governor General Narciso Claveria y Zaldua that required Filipinos to adopt Spanish surnames for census purposes. He became a professional ophthalmologist, but he was also a writer who founded the Propaganda Movement, which opposed the Spanish Empire's rule over the Philippines. On 30 December 1896, he was executed by the Spanish government for inciting the Philippine Revolution, and he is today hailed as a national hero.